Swerving=Not fun

Parkins · 06-09-2009, 12:40 PM

Heyy...
So I recently bought an '86 and have done the suspension bushings (all except the steering one), new tires, alignment, and some other engine maintenance stuff but my car will kind of swerve in either direction on the highway when I'm going fast. It usually happens on the less smooth roads... could this be the steering rack? wheel bearings? sway bar? everything under the car looks fine...
any ideas?
thanks

sbagdon · 06-09-2009, 01:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Parkins

Heyy...
So I recently bought an '86 and have done the suspension bushings (all except the steering one), new tires, alignment, and some other engine maintenance stuff but my car will kind of swerve in either direction on the highway when I'm going fast. It usually happens on the less smooth roads... could this be the steering rack? wheel bearings? sway bar? everything under the car looks fine...
any ideas?
thanks

I believe the steering rack bushings are usually referring to the inner rack bushings. Don't people replace those to get rid of clunk, not play?

If you have straight-line tracking issues at highway speeds, sounds to be tie-rod ends. Did you replace those? (yet)?

palos · 06-09-2009, 01:46 PM

What were your final alignment specs? Did the shop say anything was loose, but proceeded with, or were directed to continue with, the alignment anyway?

mustclime · 06-09-2009, 02:17 PM

sounds like an alinment issue to me....that or one or more bad balljoints.

FrankYates · 06-09-2009, 02:24 PM

Ball-joints most likely I've been doing my bushings recently and noticed that one was shot.

Chubbz · 06-09-2009, 02:40 PM

i had the same problem and it turned out both my rear wheel bearings were shot.

mustclime · 06-09-2009, 03:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chubbz

i had the same problem and it turned out both my rear wheel bearings were shot.

didn't think about the wheel bearings, It could be that also...the only way to tell is to get the car up in the air and start shacking tires.

Parkins · 06-10-2009, 12:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sbagdon

I believe the steering rack bushings are usually referring to the inner rack bushings. Don't people replace those to get rid of clunk, not play?

If you have straight-line tracking issues at highway speeds, sounds to be tie-rod ends. Did you replace those? (yet)?

I did not replace those. I'll have to look into that, thanks

Quote:

Originally Posted by palos

What were your final alignment specs? Did the shop say anything was loose, but proceeded with, or were directed to continue with, the alignment anyway?

They did say the steering rack was loose... is that something I can tighten or need to just straight up replace?

Quote:

Originally Posted by mustclime

sounds like an alinment issue to me....that or one or more bad balljoints.

I do have a small tear in the driver side front ball joint... I have been meaning to replace that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chubbz

i had the same problem and it turned out both my rear wheel bearings were shot.

I was thinking that. I'll have to look into getting some. Any recommendations for good prices?

Parkins · 06-10-2009, 12:59 PM

they also told me my camber on the back is right at the limit

Parkins · 06-13-2009, 10:44 PM

replaced the rear bearings today and nothing changed...

could it be the whole bump steer thing???

328FTW · 06-14-2009, 12:22 AM

What about the rear toe adjustment bars? Drop them at the subframe end and have a feel of the bushing, my SC mkI started doing elliptic circles when those wore out and it wandered all over the place. They were giving the wheel huge play, might as well have been a bolt floating in a 1inch hole.

Raptor13x · 06-14-2009, 01:54 AM

Jack up the car and shake each wheel back and forth, as well as up and down. It sounds like it may be a ball joint or wheel bearing issue. I had a ball joint go bad on my mkii and whenever I went above around 45mph, if I wasn't in a corner the back end would weave frighteningly back and forth.

Parkins · 06-14-2009, 03:55 PM

all of the suspension bushings are new, but i'm starting to think it might be ball joints... 2 of them have tears (one front and one back)... I'm thinking I might just go and replace all of em since they arent too expensive...

ZIELINSKI · 06-14-2009, 07:21 PM

Just a question... What size wheels do you have???

Parkins · 06-22-2009, 01:06 AM

I'm not sure right now and am too lazy to go look... its dark...
stock I'm sure though...

I'm worried its an issue with the steering rack... thoughts?

328FTW · 06-22-2009, 01:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Parkins

I'm worried its an issue with the steering rack... thoughts?

Doubt it, they may get some play in them and clunk a bit but they shouldn't cause swerving. The only true and tested way to find something broke is to go look for it. We can suggest things but ultimatly you have to find what is misaligned or sloppy, it may not even be anything we have said.

Full day poking everything suspension related and looking for play and you should find something.

coxgreen · 03-02-2011, 01:46 AM

Had the same problem that nobody else could feel or understand what I was describing. After convincing my mechanic, replaced front/rear ball joints, tie rod ends (rear purchased from twosRus) and poly bushings all around. WOW, resolved 75% of my handling issues & now I can actually feel my struts (standard ones). Getting ready to go the other 25% and replace the $5 plastic bushing in the steering rack (part 45522-17020) and pull the rack to look at rest of components. I am 100% convinced all my problems will be resolved by replacing this 20+ year old parts! '89 NA

toyotaspeed90 · 03-02-2011, 04:20 PM

any chance it's sitting on cut springs?

rapeface17 · 03-03-2011, 04:22 PM

wheel bearings

Bigbacon · 03-04-2011, 07:39 AM

Just replace everything at this point. If your current ball joints, inner/out rods are old...do yourself the favor. You can get entire sets of 4 ball joints + inner/out rods for like 60 bucks and they are easy to install, specially if you rent the inner tie rod tool from autozone. You won't even need to drop the whole rack.

You may not even be able to tell that some of the parts have play until you actually take them off the car. Shaking stuff helps find them but not all the time.

06-09-2009, 12:40 PM	#1 (permalink)
Parkins No Skills Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 38 Thanks: 1 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post My Google Map iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	Swerving=Not fun Heyy... So I recently bought an '86 and have done the suspension bushings (all except the steering one), new tires, alignment, and some other engine maintenance stuff but my car will kind of swerve in either direction on the highway when I'm going fast. It usually happens on the less smooth roads... could this be the steering rack? wheel bearings? sway bar? everything under the car looks fine... any ideas? thanks

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06-09-2009, 01:46 PM	#3 (permalink)
palos … Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 544 Thanks: 0 Thanked 44 Times in 42 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	What were your final alignment specs? Did the shop say anything was loose, but proceeded with, or were directed to continue with, the alignment anyway?

06-09-2009, 02:17 PM	#4 (permalink)
mustclime cone killer Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 14 Thanks: 0 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	sounds like an alinment issue to me....that or one or more bad balljoints.

06-09-2009, 02:24 PM	#5 (permalink)
FrankYates No Skills Join Date: May 2009 Location: Fort Myers Posts: 8 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	Ball-joints most likely I've been doing my bushings recently and noticed that one was shot.

06-09-2009, 02:40 PM	#6 (permalink)
Chubbz Some Skills Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: New Jersey Posts: 63 Thanks: 1 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	i had the same problem and it turned out both my rear wheel bearings were shot.

06-10-2009, 12:59 PM	#9 (permalink)
Parkins No Skills Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 38 Thanks: 1 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post My Google Map iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	they also told me my camber on the back is right at the limit

06-13-2009, 10:44 PM	#10 (permalink)
Parkins No Skills Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 38 Thanks: 1 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post My Google Map iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	replaced the rear bearings today and nothing changed... could it be the whole bump steer thing???

06-14-2009, 12:22 AM	#11 (permalink)
328FTW Crazy Nasty Honey Badger Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: New Zealand Posts: 5,222 Thanks: 24 Thanked 266 Times in 239 Posts My Google Map iTrader Rating: (1/100% )	What about the rear toe adjustment bars? Drop them at the subframe end and have a feel of the bushing, my SC mkI started doing elliptic circles when those wore out and it wandered all over the place. They were giving the wheel huge play, might as well have been a bolt floating in a 1inch hole.

06-14-2009, 01:54 AM	#12 (permalink)
Raptor13x Legendary Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Farmington Hills, MI Posts: 3,997 Thanks: 7 Thanked 44 Times in 37 Posts My Google Map iTrader Rating: (5/100% )	Jack up the car and shake each wheel back and forth, as well as up and down. It sounds like it may be a ball joint or wheel bearing issue. I had a ball joint go bad on my mkii and whenever I went above around 45mph, if I wasn't in a corner the back end would weave frighteningly back and forth.

06-14-2009, 03:55 PM	#13 (permalink)
Parkins No Skills Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 38 Thanks: 1 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post My Google Map iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	all of the suspension bushings are new, but i'm starting to think it might be ball joints... 2 of them have tears (one front and one back)... I'm thinking I might just go and replace all of em since they arent too expensive...

06-14-2009, 07:21 PM	#14 (permalink)
ZIELINSKI Ready to Learn Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: NSW, Australia Posts: 198 Thanks: 3 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	Just a question... What size wheels do you have???

06-22-2009, 01:06 AM	#15 (permalink)
Parkins No Skills Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 38 Thanks: 1 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post My Google Map iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	I'm not sure right now and am too lazy to go look... its dark... stock I'm sure though... I'm worried its an issue with the steering rack... thoughts?

03-02-2011, 01:46 AM	#17 (permalink)
coxgreen No Skills Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 3 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	Had the same problem that nobody else could feel or understand what I was describing. After convincing my mechanic, replaced front/rear ball joints, tie rod ends (rear purchased from twosRus) and poly bushings all around. WOW, resolved 75% of my handling issues & now I can actually feel my struts (standard ones). Getting ready to go the other 25% and replace the $5 plastic bushing in the steering rack (part 45522-17020) and pull the rack to look at rest of components. I am 100% convinced all my problems will be resolved by replacing this 20+ year old parts! '89 NA

03-02-2011, 04:20 PM	#18 (permalink)
toyotaspeed90 No Skills Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Bellingham, WA Posts: 2,401 Thanks: 0 Thanked 148 Times in 143 Posts My Google Map iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	any chance it's sitting on cut springs?

03-03-2011, 04:22 PM	#19 (permalink)
rapeface17 Some Skills Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: ft lauderdale Posts: 76 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	wheel bearings

03-04-2011, 07:39 AM	#20 (permalink)
Bigbacon Cage Fighter Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Aldie VA Posts: 997 Thanks: 0 Thanked 45 Times in 43 Posts iTrader Rating: (3/100% )	Just replace everything at this point. If your current ball joints, inner/out rods are old...do yourself the favor. You can get entire sets of 4 ball joints + inner/out rods for like 60 bucks and they are easy to install, specially if you rent the inner tie rod tool from autozone. You won't even need to drop the whole rack. You may not even be able to tell that some of the parts have play until you actually take them off the car. Shaking stuff helps find them but not all the time.